Life – a user's manual Part II - Boksidan

Facade damage, brick facades
Brick facades usually have nearly infinite lifespan. Minor cracks in the joints or cracked stones are often just
an appearance issue and restorations may become more visually disturbing than the cracks. Especially if it is
about to replace a few cracked stones (which is a pretty extensive work).
Dampness damages
Water that enters the building elements can cause major damage. The most obvious internal traces that it to some
extent has happened, in addition to dripping water or puddles, is often:
- Stained (darkened) wooden surfaces 17 .
- Dark spots on the wallpaper or paint.
- Carpets that are bubbled.
- Color that has bubbled or is loose.
- Odor of mold (smells like and old cellar).
- Plaster that bulge, is discolored or has loosened 18 .
17.
18.
This discoloration can, besides normal soiling, be due to that the water has seeped into the wood and started the
process of decomposition. There may well be an ongoing process or a previous ditto, now stalled due to, for
example, that the roof sealed. If the spots are cooler than the surrounding areas (which means they are wet), it is
either because there is an ongoing water leak or water condenses on the surface. The latter is due to the hot air
(which may contain more water vapor than colder ones, without feeling damp) is cooled down on a colder surface,
such as a poorly insulated room corners. When air is cooled, it can not hold as much water and thus the water is
transformed to visible water, i.e. condenses.
In order to determine whether the wood is healthy, you should test it with a knife. If the knife goes in easily, the
wood is rotten (See figure 4) and has thus lost much of its buoyancy. For proper functioning of the structure it
should then be replaced with new wood. Then you should consider how water enters. For example, by waiting until
it rains if the reason could be a leakage in an outer wall or ceiling. If not, or if that and leaking water installations
are excluded and the stains are dry one should, a day when it's cold outside, test if the spots are moisty. If this is the
case, the spots are due to condensation.
If inspection indicates leaking roof, facade, or water installations the problem must be addressed immediately to
avoid serious damage. If it is a question of condensation, however, it is not as urgent and the measures to be taken
are different. They are then mainly to improve the ventilation of the space. In addition, if it is a cold atic of the
solution can also be to reduce ventilation (SP, 1995:6) or to seal the floor, so that hot air does not penetrate from
below.
Try tapping the plaster. If you the hear a hollow sound, the plaster probably has come loose. In the case of minor
damages on basement walls, it can be sufficient to knock down the loose plaster and cower the holes with a water
permeable plaster (lime plaster) and ditto color (silicone resin paint). If the damage to basement walls, however, is
extensive or if they are otherwise disruptive and is also found in inner walls, it can be a matter of pumping out
water from under the floor. If the damage is located on the exterior walls and the ground outside the house consists
of permeable materials like soil, it may instead be a matter of digging up around the house, drain and cover the
foundations with a barrier layer. If the surfaces around the house are made of asphalt or the like, which more or less
frequently is the case around house in stone cities, a thorough investigation of what is the cause of the problem, is
required, before any actions are planned.
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